He Came After
by WhenLightGreetsDark
Summary: He was hers. She was his. They were made for each other. They were like twins and twins should never be seperated. But that was exactly the case. And Cato was left broken. He never let her go. He came after. *Dark fic, warning*


**Hey everyone! This is quite a dark fic, so if you aren't prepared, watch out!**

* * *

Perhaps the day I met her was the greatest day of my life. It probably was.

I actually loved her.

My name's Cato. No, I'm not going to give you my second name. Why should I? I have no reason to. I'm from District 2, and before you say, yes. I am a Career. But people's opinions are so biased towards us. We're still as scared as other tributes. We just don't show it. There's a difference between showing weakness and letting it swallow you whole, and hiding it but seeming heartless. I prefer the latter.

I volunteered for the Reaping and god, I wish I hadn't. I didn't know then that I was going to fall in love with her. Clove.

I remember her in ther Training Room. Showing off, flaunting her skills. But I still saw beneath her. A scared little tribute too frightened to go back to her District. Because I know a secret.

She wanted to die in that Arena.

She said to me, one night. We were in the sitting room, angled towards each other. Just talking in quiet voices.

"I don't want to get out," She said quietly. I thought, I must've misheard her.

"Sorry?" I said, touching her shoulder. She flinches away from me.

"I don't want to go home, Cato!" She gives out a wail as she says this. And then she starts to cry. Great tears. I'd never seen her cry before. She was always the tough one.

But, I reached down and hugged her. She smelt sweet, like honey and cinnamon and I held her as she sobbed into my shoulders. Soon, she quietened down. We were just sitting there. On the couch holding each other.

And I knew in that moment I was falling for the little Clove.

And then we looked in each others eyes, staring into each others souls. I didn't know what to make of her. She had brown eyes. So beautiful. They looked like the deepest chocolate you could think of. And then, before we knew anything we were kissing.

And I can't tell you how great that moment felt.

* * *

"I love you, Cato," She whispers.

"I love you too, Clove,"

"CATO! CAATO!" I hear Clove screech. I was collecting some fruit in a bush. But I dropped them, hurrying to see her. I remember hoping she wasn't dead. Oh god, I wished she wasn't dead so bad.

"CLOVE!" I shouted back, "CLOVE. I'M COMING! I'M COMING!"

I heard her shrieks and I made it to the clearing just in time to see Thresh, the Distrcit 11 boy, hit Clove with a rock then scamper off.

"No.."

"Clove?" I said, running as fast as I could to her. "Clove?"

Her eyes were barely open. There was a dent in her skull. "Hey there..."

"No, Clove! Stay with me! STAY WITH ME!" I screamed setting my spear down. I grabbed her jacket and hold on, "Don't go, please. Don't leave me here. Please Clove,"

Hot tears spilled down my cheeks, down my nose. They fell onto her face. She moaned.

"Cato..." She sighed, closing her eyes.

"Don't fall asleep, Clove! You'll... you'll go away. Please. Please don't leave me," I'm crying so hard, I ddn't want her to go. I loved her so much.

"Cato... Don't let me go..." And then she closes her eyes and the cannon goes off and I'm just sitting there. Staring hard at her. She can't be gone. She can't be. She was there with me just moments ago. She can't be gone. No.

"I'll never let you go, Clove. Never," I said.

And the animal wail roared through me, and I was standing and screaming and crying so hard for her. And I couldn't believe she's gone.

I didn't want to let her go.

I love her too much. She's in my heart. Buried too deeply to be removed.

I hate the Capitol. I hate these Games. I want my Clove. I want her back. I hang on to her body until some mutts come along forcing me to part with her.

My heart breaks a little more every time I think about it.

And do you want me to tell you the details? Of how I won the Games?

I won't tell you.

I won.

But if I had Clove back, I would've died.

Hey, look. That brings us to now. Well, you've made it this far. Why don't you read on?

I'm sitting at a desk, my desk. In Victors Village.

I'm all on my own.

_Dear whomever is reading this,_

_Hey. Cato here. Just letting you know why I did what I did._

_You know, when I was watching the replays of the Games there were lots of parts missed out. I bet you didn't know that, did you?_

_So much was missed out, it's unbelievable. Did you know, the_

_real starcrossed lovers of the 74th Annual Hunger Games were actually Clove and I? Did you know that Peeta and Katniss actually hated each other so much, Katniss nearly killed him in the cave if it weren't for a sponsor stopping them? It was all an act. The Games were just all an act._

_Every single Hunger Games' is a lie and an act._

_Who knew?_

_Clove and I... we loved each other. The Capitol didn't want to broadcast it, of course. Too much romance, wasn't it? But hey, who cares if the couple who_

_really love each other die inside? Who cares, right?_

_Wrong._

_I care. So much. My Clove is dead because of the Capitol and the Hunger Games still rage on. And I've had enough._

_My Clove was everything. I don't have a family or friends. I trained all my life for this moment. But I never knew it would hurt so much._

_The physical pain is too much for me to bear. It hurts when I breathe, it hurts when I walk. It hurts when I think._

_And I just want out. And that's why I'm sorry for doing this._

_I don't even know anyone who would be interested in me anyway. I'm dead inside. I feel nothing but pain. And if there's no pain it's numbness._

_And for Clove, I love you. You are my everything. I need you. But you're not here._

_And I'm sorry._

_Cato._

And with that I stand, and eye the fan above me. Taking the necklace of rope, I tie it around neck then tie it onto the fan. Perfect.

I stand on the chair, position myself quite comfortably then take my last breath of fresh air. I kick away the chair and thrash about.

Dark spots fill my vision before I let unconsciousness take me.

And I am dead.

* * *

**Okay, so how was it? This is the first time I have created something as depressing as this.. sorry if I offend anyone! Feedback would be appreciated :3**

**~Tasha**


End file.
